Galaxy Insider Player Ratings: Mike Magee

Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano reviews the season for the Galaxy’s clutch attacker

December 29, 2012

Adam Serrano

LAGalaxy.com

The LA Galaxy season may be over, but LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano will spend the next few weeks offering an evaluation of each member of the squad. VIEW CALENDAR

The LA Galaxy Player Ratings will begin with players who appeared in the least number of games this season starting with goalkeeper Brian Rowe and concluding with Sean Franklin who played in all 34 of the club’s regular season games. There will also be an evaluation of head coach and general manager Bruce Arena and his moves at the conclusion of the list.

We will have two to three evaluations per day and focus on what each player did well, what they need to improve on ahead of next season as well as a select thought from the player on their performance and a rating from myself out of four stars.

HIGHLIGHTS: Mike Magee’s goal tally may not have reached into the double digits, but each of his nine goals across all competitions came when it counted the most for the Galaxy. Magee tallied three game-winning-goals in the regular season, but he saved his greatest heroics for the MLS Cup Playoffs. Once the postseason began, Magee provided stepped up to provide the Galaxy with three clutch strikes including a series-deciding goal in LA’s 3-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes in the Western Conference Semifinal Second Leg at Buck Shaw Stadium. (watch above)

LOWLIGHTS: The 28-year-old attacker’s lowest moment came during LA’s lowest point as he scored an own goal late in the first half of LA’s 2-1 defeat to the Houston Dynamo on a sweltering afternoon at BBVA Compass Stadium on May 26. He was also handed a one game suspension by the MLS Disciplinary Committee after he was judged to have thrown the ball in the direction of referee Silviu Petrescu late in that game. Magee was also not immune to injuries as a right shin hematoma caused him to miss four games from July 9 to July 21.

HIS THOUGHTS: "I'm 5-9, 150-something pounds. I'm not fast either. It's not really natural for me to be a professional athlete," Magee said. "I had to make up for it in other ways, especially defensively. I had to get fitter and be able to play longer because I couldn't get away from just being quick. You have to do all the little things to stay on the field, which took me a couple years to realize." – Magee describing his style of play on Nov. 10 prior to the start of the Western Conference Championship series.

RATING: FOUR STARS
Call him Mr. November or Magic Mike, but the best word to describe Mike Magee’s contributions in 2012 is clutch. Whenever the Galaxy needed a goal most, it was Magee who was involved in the action—many times scoring the decisive strike himself. If 2011 was Magee’s coming out party as a valuable contributor to the club, in 2012, he was able to solidify his role as an invaluable member of Bruce Arena’s squad. Magee’s status for 2013 is still in question as he is currently out of contract, but by all indications, Magee is likely to remain with the Galaxy for another season.

Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com